An Atlanta man was convicted Wednesday in the death of his 4-year-old daughter and the abuse of his two other young children who were denied access to food and water, according to officials.
Rodney Andre McWeay was found guilty on 14 counts: murder, felony murder and three counts each of first-degree cruelty to children, false imprisonment, contributing to the dependency of a minor and kidnapping, court records show. He will be sentenced at a later date.
Fulton County District Attorney’s Office spokesperson Pallavi Bailey confirmed McWeay was convicted in the death of Treasure McWeay and of abusing his two other children, ages 4 and 3.
McWeay did not have custody of the kids when he was arrested in December 2023, authorities previously said.
At the time, Atlanta officers were called to Renfrew Court, a residential area off Bakers Ferry Road just west of I-285, after getting reports of an unresponsive child. Officers also responded to Hughes Spalding Children’s Hospital, where the 4-year-old had been taken and pronounced dead, an arrest warrant stated.
Warrants obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2023 stated Treasure McWeay “was extremely underweight, and her face appeared to be sunken in around the eyes and cheekbones.” A Dec. 13, 2023, autopsy revealed the child weighed only 24 pounds and had just 5 milliliters of liquid in her stomach, the warrant added.
Officials considered her to be “extremely malnourished and dehydrated.”
The two other children were discovered living with McWeay, who was accused in the warrant of failing to provide “sustenance in the form of food or water for any of his three children.”
Those children were hospitalized for extreme malnourishment and severe dehydration, the warrant detailed. Doctors at Hughes Spalding also confirmed with police at the time that McWeay failed to provide one of his kids prescribed seizure medication, officials said.
Police interviewed McWeay and uncovered he didn’t allow his children to go outside or leave their rooms without permission, the warrant said.
During a search of McWeay’s home, police said they found only expired foods and no clothing in the children’s rooms, the warrant stated. Several cameras, including some facing the children’s beds, were also seen throughout the house, officials said.
About five months prior to McWeay’s arrest, authorities said he kidnapped all three children from a residence in Aberdeen, Maryland. Documents stated the mother was the sole legal guardian, and that McWeay prevented her, other family members and Georgia Division of Family and Children Services employees from speaking to the kids.
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